European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly denounced the recent surge of violence in northern Kosovo. Acts of violence targeting citizens, the media, law enforcement, and KFOR troops were deemed utterly unacceptable, exacerbating an already perilous situation.
“We, the European Union, stand firmly behind NATO’s mission KFOR in fulfilling its mandate in the interest of the peace and the stability in Kosovo,” Borrell said.
Borrell disclosed that he had engaged in separate conversations with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, emphasizing the urgent need for both parties to promptly de-escalate tensions without conditions.
“Any further unilateral action must be avoided, and calm must be restored,” Borrell urged.
As the first step toward resolution, Borrell said that the Kosovo government led by PM Albin Kurti must “suspend police operations focusing on the municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo.” He also called on the violent protesters to stand down.
Borrell said that The European Union expects the parties to “act responsibly” and “engage immediately” in the EU-facilitated dialogue to find a sustainable solution to the situation in the north of Kosovo that guarantees safety and security for all citizens and paves the way for the implementation of the new Agreement on Path to Normalization.
Borrell expressed the EU’s expectation that all parties involved would act responsibly and promptly engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue, with the aim of finding a sustainable solution to the situation in northern Kosovo. This solution should ensure the safety and security of all citizens and pave the way for the implementation of the new Agreement on the path to normalization.
To address the urgency of the situation, Borrell announced the organization of an urgent High-Level Dialogue Meeting, with the support of EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak. Additionally, he requested that Charles Fries, the Deputy Secretary-General for Peace, Security, and Defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS), visit Kosovo along with the EU Rule of Law mission, EULEX, to provide a firsthand report on the ground situation.
Simultaneously, member states are being kept informed about the developments and are discussing potential measures to be taken if the parties involved persist in resisting the proposed de-escalation steps.
The EU expects the parties to contribute to constructive regional cooperation and enhance security in Europe while working to overcome the burdens of the past.
“There has been enough violence – there has been too much violence. We have too much violence in Europe already today – we cannot afford another conflict,” said Borrell.
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